10 Pregnant Quirks That Scare Doctors

Head of the expert center for women’s health, obstetrician-gynecologist, endocrinologist at the REMEDI clinic

Refusal to undergo an ultrasound scan during pregnancy

Many women refuse or minimize the frequency of ultrasound examinations. Referring to the harm of “ultrasound radiation”, a thermal effect that affects the development of pregnancy and your body as a whole. So that’s it. Ultrasound is not rays. Accordingly, there is no radiation. The fact of the safety of ultrasound during pregnancy has been clinically and scientifically proven. As for the thermal effect and electromagnetic radiation, the ultrasound devices for carrying out expert-level obstetric studies are designed so that they have no negative impact on either the baby or the expectant mother.

Gradually quitting smoking

There is an opinion that it is impossible to abruptly quit smoking, including electronic cigarettes. The opinion is wrong. Nicotine and smoking mixtures, even “lightweight” ones, provoke many undesirable effects. The most important thing for pregnancy is an uncontrolled spasm of blood vessels – capillaries, which has a direct effect on the nutrition of the fetus in the uterus. Continuing to receive portions of nicotine, tar, smoking mixtures, a woman harms blood microcirculation and deprives the baby of precious nutrients.

Refusal to carry out epidural anesthesia during childbirth

Many expectant mothers believe: in order to feel like a mother one hundred percent, you need to feel every minute of childbirth. In addition, they think that any pain reliever will negatively affect the baby. So, you can feel like a mother not only after natural childbirth. Mom is so much more. And by the end of the first stage of labor, as a rule, a new dose of epidural anesthesia is not added. You can perfectly feel the final opening of the cervix (and these are the longest and most painful contractions) and all the attempts. As for the drug getting into the child’s body, this does not happen. With regional anesthesia (epidural, epidural, spinal), the medication does not enter the bloodstream of the mother, respectively, and the baby.

Probiotics and dietary supplements

Taking probiotics, dietary supplements containing zinc, amino acids, on an ongoing basis throughout the entire period of pregnancy – this is also the sin of many mothers. Still, during this period, it is necessary to take those funds that have a fairly solid evidence base in the form of clinical trials. Excessive medications can negatively affect the functioning of a woman’s liver and kidneys. And it is not necessary to prescribe any supplements to yourself “by eye”, because “the blogger advises”.

Home birth

This is a very big risk to the life and health of women and children. How much it is possible to provide the necessary assistance to a woman in labor and a baby at home in case of unforeseen circumstances is a big question. The statistics on perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality after home birth are dismal. Modern maternity hospitals are well equipped, delivery rooms are comfortable. You can bring your husband, mother, doula, personal midwife to childbirth. For centuries, women have sought to give birth in a safe environment. Let’s not go back to the “field” to prove how strong and resilient we are.

Childbirth in water

We humans are land mammals. Dolphins, whales and other species of marine mammals give birth in nature in water. Our lungs are not adapted for this kind of childbirth. The period of cervical dilatation can be spent in water. Warm water is a non-drug option for pain relief. No more. Childbirth in water (that is, the baby’s exit from the birth canal into the water) can lead to the ingress of water (with blood, mucus, possibly even with the feces of the woman in labor) into the baby’s lungs and the development of aspiration pneumonia.

Eating the placenta

Young mothers try to preserve the placenta so that they can then dry or freeze and eat. Or use it as a cosmetic. There is no scientific evidence base on the effectiveness of this method. Moreover, there have been cases when the mother almost killed the baby by eating her own placenta.

Whiskey swaddling of a woman in labor

There is an opinion of alternative medicine that one cannot do without such a procedure, which is performed 40 days after childbirth. It consists in the fact that a woman is wrapped, which helps to remove swelling and improves the condition of the skin. Official medicine believes that this is an ordinary spa procedure that will not harm in any way, but it cannot be called necessary either. Yes, nice and somewhat useful, but hardly vital.

Refusal of vaccinations for a baby

This, of course, is a separate topic of discussion. The list of infections from which pediatricians recommend vaccinating a baby includes very dangerous ones. After getting sick with them, the child, if he survives, then has very big health problems in the future, up to the limitation of opportunities and the assignment of an appropriate social status. The most important thing is compliance with the conditions of vaccination. That is, to be vaccinated against the background of complete well-being on the part of the baby’s health.

Superstitions

In particular, avoiding dyeing and cutting hair during pregnancy. Previously, it was believed that any manipulation of your hair during this period would lead to complications. But there is no connection between a haircut and pathology on the part of the fetus and the newborn. And you can even dye your hair if you choose high-quality modern dyes: they do not have a negative effect on pregnancy. In addition, there is no documented negative effect of cosmetics for scalp care, hair care, hair dyes and during breastfeeding.